Previous Special Events

Best-selling Life of Pi author, Yann Martel, discusses his latest novel,Beatrice and Virgil, on Thursday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

Beatrice and Virgil is about asuccessful writer named Henry who becomes discouraged when his book about the Holocaust, a "flip book" made up of a novel and an essay that can be read in any order, is rejected by publishers.

National Book Award-winning author Nathaniel Philbrick discusses The Last Stand, his new book about the Battle of Little Bighorn.

In his narrative, Philbrick sketches the two antagonists, Sitting Bull and George Armstrong Custer, and reminds readers that the Battle of the Little Bighorn was also, even in victory, the last stand for the Sioux and Cheyenne Indian nations. Philbrick evokes the history and geography of the Great Plains with an archetypal story of the American West, which continues to haunt imaginations.

Kenneth H. Winn tells the seldom-heard story of Indian agent George Sibley and Ellen Lorr, whose failure to marry touched off a legal and political battle in early 1800s Missouri, on Sunday, May 16, at 2 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

The Searching the Psyche through Cinema film series continues with Juno, a whip-smart comedy about the travails of teenage pregnancy. Ellen Page plays an independent-minded 16-year-old in search of the perfect adoptive parents for her child. As her due date nears, she learns tough lessons about relationships, love, and adulthood.

The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, presents Shakespeare to Go! showcasing a production of scenes drawn from Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Four actors play 19 roles in 40 minutes with a 10-minute Q&A session following the performance. Shakespeare to Go! provides a condensed experience that sheds new light on these classics.

Vicki Myron returns to discuss her latest book about Dewey, a bedraggled stray who was found in a book drop on the coldest night of the year and grew up to become a winsome library cat, well-known for his friendly manner and stalwart spirit.Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story is a middle grade adaptation of the earlier best-seller written by the soft-hearted librarian who adopted the orange cat.

O'Dell (A.K.A. Kevin Dolan), a Kansas City native, earned a B.A. in music from the University of California at Santa Cruz. For the last 15 years Kevin has taught music, drama, language arts, and improvisation at preschools, elementary schools, theater, churches, and libraries.

Jonathan Bender discusses his new book Lego: A Love Story, chronicling his time spent researching the colorful and creative world of Legos, on Thursday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library 14 W. 10th St.

For every person in the world, there are 62 Lego bricks. At age 30, Jonathan Bender realized he didn’t have a single one and set out to relive his childhood dream of becoming a Master Model Builder.

Five-time Coretta Scott King Award honoree and New York Times bestselling young adult author Sharon Draper discusses her new novel, a story full of heartache and hope.

Melody is a young girl who, because she has cerebral palsy, is unable to walk, unable to talk, and unable to do many other things most people take for granted. Her mind is full of knowledge but most people, including her doctors and teachers, don’t think she is capable of learning.

The Big Read brings author Marilynne Robinson to Kansas City on Wednesday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., for a discussion of Housekeeping and her literary career with Angela Elamof New Letters on the Air, who will record the conversation before a live audience for later broadcast.